Okay, I am not talking about artists minting money and charging a bomb for shows, recordings, appearances per se.
Not necessarily the guys who can take care of themselves.
Definitely not the ones ‘pretending’ to be artists, puking poop (not pop, not a typo) music and calling it art (and not fart).
In India, we have a lot of street musicians and growing up I’ve seen a lot of flute sellers. I guess it’s easier to make (I know a friend who makes flutes out of PVC pipes). They are light, compact, easy to carry and fairly inexpensive.
In Gurgaon near Galleria market, there are at least two flute sales managers who carry on their shoulder maybe 100 odd flutes and play beautiful music for all the shoppers, employees.
While heading back to our car, he asked a family member for some money and the person I was with remarked something on the lines of “you must do something productive, use your two hands, work and earn your daily wage.”
Maybe I am a musician/artist and stuff like this hits much harder. Coming from a family member I felt even more hurt and disappointed in that moment.
YES, I obviously have a soft corner for all artists. It will not be unnatural or irregular if you see me ignore my friends and go stand next to the artist playing the piano at a mall or start jamming/singing with the singers in the Bombay Local or even musicians playing at clubs/restaurants - old/young, experienced/inexperienced, Indian/otherwise.
I hardly pray. I believe in 'The Universe'/'Supreme being' where the power of your thoughts matter and it's more like a conversation about life with him in a Dumbledore-Harry Potter kinda way where I am seeking answers but mostly just talking to myself. (ping me/comment if this makes sense to you)
BUT when I am in the presence of musicians/artists, where I can physically FEEL their struggles and hardships, I pray.
I pray in the most conventional, humble way I know.
It’s not an easy decision, being an artist. Even if YOU are absolutely convinced and fully understand, appreciate and accept the relationship with your art, it is so difficult to convince the world that what you do, might not help you earn a living, but it adds value. That it means something.
Economic laws would state that employees are only happy when Effort meets Rewards. Monetary rewards seldom exist, but I guess, love and respect is what every artist craves.
WE NEED ARTISTS
Actors, singers, instrumentalists, dancers, writers, painters, poets and all other artists make the world a beautiful place.
An artist CHOOSES this life to entertain you. Yes, first to entertain himself, but only because he knows what boundless joy it gives him, he opens his doors and allows you inside his world to enjoy and celebrate with him. To make you feel happiness, anger, sadness and a whole gamut of emotions that make you, well, HUMAN.
Without feelings, emotions, you’re no different or probably lesser off than every other living organism on the planet.
Artists REMIND you that you’re human. To make you feel happiness without knowing who you are, what you do and reaching out to you in the most intimate yet inclusive way is doing god’s work.
Artists like Tansen were respected members of the King’s court, at par or sometimes above your accountants, doctors, lawyers, advisors,etc.
Musicians like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustaad Zakir Hussain have made our country proud and have left a bigger, richer footprint than a lot of multi millionaires (who supposedly are all over my Youtube wanting to help me grow my business, teach me the difference between a profitable business and loss making business. Hey, Youtube, I don’t want these ads. Thank you.)
RESPECT EVERY ARTIST
Hours are spent learning a craft. You are investing time, money and a lot of brain power to learn it to an extent where the notes you play/sing make the listener feel like everything’s okay in the world. To possess this kind of power is a special talent. It is only the result of SADHANA. It is TAPASYA.
It would have been easier if the flute seller could’ve chosen to sell pens or balloons or other tangible items without spending hours learning the instrument with enough precision, breath control, deftness and hours of practice to carry a tune in this scorching NCR heat mid June.
I'm assuming it is easier knowing how to remove pen covers to draw lines with them or blow air and see rubber finger gloves expand to magically become large air balls.
RESPECT THE ARTISTS' CHOICE TO ENTERTAIN YOU.
Playing the guitar or a piano might soon become a thing of the past anyway. It has happened to so many indigenous instruments and because making a reel on a trending audio is more crucial than putting in the work, nobody really has the time and patience to learn instruments.
There is this thing called MIDI where you press any white key on the keyboard and you’re basically creating soothing (enough) music.
Worst (or better) still, there are things called loops where you go to a loops library, find a flute sample and just pick and drop it without even attempting to understand its nuances.
Someone else has done the hardwork, putting in 10,000 hours to perfect his craft and you just go on Google, hit the download button and just copy paste his 10,000 hours worth of talent and call it your own music.
I DO IT TOO.
We have more than enough material things, toys to spend our money on. We all had 4-5 pens - different colors, roller ball, gel, fountain, pilot, etc - but would we ever need more than one to put our ideas down on paper. But you’d STILL call a buying a pen, a more sound purchase decision than buying a flute.
The flute seller probably knows this too. So not only does he need to work harder than everyone else in learning and continously updating his craft, he also has to work HARDER at sales by continuously playing without sufficient food or water in his system to earn that same buck.
I am just going to include all kinds of artists into this scenario. It is a difficult life. Be human. Be empathetic.
WHAT DO YOU DO? EASY
You see dancers outside Hamley’s performing, sweating it out. Go ahead and tell them how amazing they were, even if you didn’t actually see them perform.
There is a small art exhibition in your neighbourhood. Appreciate the art and congratulate them, even if you have no idea about composition, colours, derivation, etc.
There are school kids doing a skit to promote awareness about climate change, go and give them a double thumbs up. Let them know that all the months of hard work, planning, executing, writing, assembling the right people was not all in vain. Thank them for caring.
If you’ve got money to spare, give them some of that too. Cut me a cheque while you’re at it.
Offer them water, biscuits. Have a quick conversation. Here, use my script and give me due credit or I will sue your a$$ -
”How was your day?”
“Keep it up”
“You’re awesome”
“Loved it”
“Great“
Even if you know nothing about what the artist is doing, give them the love and respect they deserve. Because that’s all they need. And that’s enough.
Also, watch Dead Poet's Society (R.I.P. Robin Williams), let me know what you think, let's have a conversation.
Much love.
